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Roasted Peanuts
Sam and Jackson both agreed: nothing beat baseball. The crowds cheering, the bright green grass, the tasty roasted peanuts. Sam was an amazing athlete—very strong and fast, a big-leaguer in the making. Jackson, on the other hand, was not very strong or very fast at all. He could throw very far, but that was about it. When Sam makes the team and Jackson doesn’t, he misses having Jackson there on the field with him. And then he sees a poster . . .
Tim Egan has crafted a quirky tale of friendship and loyalty, complete with a late-inning nail biter that will keep baseball fans on the edge of their seats!
Tim Egan has crafted a quirky tale of friendship and loyalty, complete with a late-inning nail biter that will keep baseball fans on the edge of their seats!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 24, 2022
Great baseball book for children. Unfortunately, I don't believe peanuts are allowed in baseball parks anymore because of allergies. But I remember someone just like the character in this book who could toss peanut bags a long distance to the person buying it.
June 21, 2011
Cute baseball book that shows there is more to baseball than what happens on the field.
February 7, 2014
Booklist (April 15, 2006 (Vol. 102, No. 16))
Gr. 1-3. The expressions on Egan's tubby George and Martha-like figures add tongue-in-cheek undertones to this tale of friendship surviving adversity. Sam (a horse) and Jackson (a cat) both love baseball, but when the Grazers hold tryouts, only the athletically gifted Sam makes the team. Jackson's ensuing gloom doesn't lift until Sam persuades him to get a job as a peanut vendor at the stadium--where Jackson's ability to throw a bag with uncanny accuracy earns him celebrity status from the fans. Culminating in an exciting game with a suitably goofy twist, this story will elicit chortles from young readers as well as an appreciation for the loyalty the differently talented buddies display.
Horn Book (May/June, 2006)
Growing up, best friends Jackson (a squat, ungainly cat) and Sam (a tall, lithe horse) share a love of baseball. Natural athlete Sam goes on to play professional ball for the Grazers; Jackson doesn't make the team, despite his one asset, his "terrific arm." Each goes into a decline without the other -- Jackson moping about his apartment, Sam getting booed by Grazers fans -- until Jackson takes a job as a peanut vendor at the ballpark. Cheered by Jackson's presence, Sam starts playing better, and then brilliantly; in the meantime, Jackson, with his feats of amazingly long and accurate peanut-bag throws, becomes just as well-known and admired as Sam. Egan's language is unfailingly fresh, and the story moves along briskly. The saturated watercolor and ink illustrations, populated with poker-faced characters who show emotion only subtly, succeed in creating a believable world in which a horse hits a long fly ball, a pig is too distracted to catch it, and the cow on third base scores the game-winning run. Egan's picture books tend to be characterized as offbeat, and this one certainly qualifies, but here the quirkiness doesn't overwhelm a rewarding story of friendship, fulfilling one's potential, and discovering one's best self.
Horn Book starred (Fall 2006)
Best friends Jackson (an ungainly cat) and Sam (a lithe horse) both love baseball. When Sam goes on to play professional ball and Jackson doesn't make the team, each goes into a decline without the other. The story moves along briskly, and the illustrations create a believable world. This is a rewarding story of friendship, fulfilling one's potential, and discovering one's best self.
Kirkus Reviews (March 1, 2006)
Sam and Jackson love to sit and watch baseball at Grant's Field. But when Sam, a horse who's an amazing athlete, makes the local team, Jackson, who is a very slow cat, albeit with a great arm, does not. It isn't fun for either friend when they're apart, and Sam hits badly until Jackson starts selling peanuts in the stands. Jackson uses his great arm to pitch peanut bags into the lap of whoever orders them, and Sam plays like a dream. They reach the final game, with the score tied in the bottom of the ninth with a cow on third and Sam at bat, when a request for peanuts a hundred rows away gets Jackson to rise to the occasion-and Sam, too. Gently rounded and anthropomorphized animals populate this tale, and Jackson in particular, with his patient whiskered face, is a charmer. Egan's ink and watercolors use sculptural forms and an autumnal palette; the stands are full of dogs and pigs and other animal folk in vaguely 19th-century dress. Dead-pan humor with a pitch-perfect aim. (Picture book. 4-8)
Publishers Weekly (April 17, 2006)
Egan's (Serious Farm) animal characters' small-town reticence and sly sidelong glances suggest a Keillor-esque wit at work. This homespun story introduces best friends Sam and Jackson, a baseball-loving horse and cat. Sam is "an amazing athlete"-an equine Natural-whose easy stance radiates composure. "Jackson was another story.... He was the slowest cat anyone had ever seen." Both try out for the local team, the Grazers, but Jackson (despite a powerful throwing arm) can't make the cut. A split-panel page shows the cat moping on his stoop while Sam, down at the field, gets ready to bat. Both are so unhappy that Sam strikes out repeatedly, and Jackson overhears the complaints. ("That horse is a disgrace," a bull gripes to a hippo, mocking fandom as well as the semi-peaceable kingdom Egan envisions.") Afterward, Jackson secretly takes a job as a roasted-peanut vendor, making use of that throwing arm. In a well-scripted moment of real-man camaraderie, Jackson reveals his presence by heckling Sam from the stands ("You see that stick you're holding?... You want to use that to hit the little ball they throw at you"). The delighted Sam duly hits a home run, and their buddy act becomes a main attraction. Egan invents a starry-eyed baseball legend of an earlier era, in which gentlemanly hues of sepia, loamy brown, mossy green and burgundy set the scene. The four-legged fans wear suit-jackets and hats, antique billboards line the stadium and-as in Egan's other books-sensitive stoics win the day. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal (May 1, 2006)
K-Gr 3-Jackson the cat and Sam the horse share a love of baseball, both watching and playing the game. Sam is a natural athlete, but Jackson is one of the slowest cats ever seen. Still, Sam encourages his buddy in his one skill-throwing. When tryouts for the local team come around, Sam easily makes it, but Jackson doesn't. Perhaps even worse, the feline's self-pity threatens Sam's happiness, and his performance. In the end, Jackson finds a way to use his talent in the stadium, supports his pal, and becomes a legend in his own right. More than a tale about baseball, this story is about the nature of true friendship, and about the ability to be happy about someone else's accomplishments. Egan's typically droll animal characters express emotions well. However, the ink-and-watercolor illustrations have a static quality that doesn't convey the movement of the game. Still, the understated humor of the text lightens the message and makes the story more appealing-as when the animal crowd yells at Sam, "Go back to the farm!" Baseball fanatics or not, most children will enjoy this charming tale.-Robin L. Gibson, Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Gr. 1-3. The expressions on Egan's tubby George and Martha-like figures add tongue-in-cheek undertones to this tale of friendship surviving adversity. Sam (a horse) and Jackson (a cat) both love baseball, but when the Grazers hold tryouts, only the athletically gifted Sam makes the team. Jackson's ensuing gloom doesn't lift until Sam persuades him to get a job as a peanut vendor at the stadium--where Jackson's ability to throw a bag with uncanny accuracy earns him celebrity status from the fans. Culminating in an exciting game with a suitably goofy twist, this story will elicit chortles from young readers as well as an appreciation for the loyalty the differently talented buddies display.
Horn Book (May/June, 2006)
Growing up, best friends Jackson (a squat, ungainly cat) and Sam (a tall, lithe horse) share a love of baseball. Natural athlete Sam goes on to play professional ball for the Grazers; Jackson doesn't make the team, despite his one asset, his "terrific arm." Each goes into a decline without the other -- Jackson moping about his apartment, Sam getting booed by Grazers fans -- until Jackson takes a job as a peanut vendor at the ballpark. Cheered by Jackson's presence, Sam starts playing better, and then brilliantly; in the meantime, Jackson, with his feats of amazingly long and accurate peanut-bag throws, becomes just as well-known and admired as Sam. Egan's language is unfailingly fresh, and the story moves along briskly. The saturated watercolor and ink illustrations, populated with poker-faced characters who show emotion only subtly, succeed in creating a believable world in which a horse hits a long fly ball, a pig is too distracted to catch it, and the cow on third base scores the game-winning run. Egan's picture books tend to be characterized as offbeat, and this one certainly qualifies, but here the quirkiness doesn't overwhelm a rewarding story of friendship, fulfilling one's potential, and discovering one's best self.
Horn Book starred (Fall 2006)
Best friends Jackson (an ungainly cat) and Sam (a lithe horse) both love baseball. When Sam goes on to play professional ball and Jackson doesn't make the team, each goes into a decline without the other. The story moves along briskly, and the illustrations create a believable world. This is a rewarding story of friendship, fulfilling one's potential, and discovering one's best self.
Kirkus Reviews (March 1, 2006)
Sam and Jackson love to sit and watch baseball at Grant's Field. But when Sam, a horse who's an amazing athlete, makes the local team, Jackson, who is a very slow cat, albeit with a great arm, does not. It isn't fun for either friend when they're apart, and Sam hits badly until Jackson starts selling peanuts in the stands. Jackson uses his great arm to pitch peanut bags into the lap of whoever orders them, and Sam plays like a dream. They reach the final game, with the score tied in the bottom of the ninth with a cow on third and Sam at bat, when a request for peanuts a hundred rows away gets Jackson to rise to the occasion-and Sam, too. Gently rounded and anthropomorphized animals populate this tale, and Jackson in particular, with his patient whiskered face, is a charmer. Egan's ink and watercolors use sculptural forms and an autumnal palette; the stands are full of dogs and pigs and other animal folk in vaguely 19th-century dress. Dead-pan humor with a pitch-perfect aim. (Picture book. 4-8)
Publishers Weekly (April 17, 2006)
Egan's (Serious Farm) animal characters' small-town reticence and sly sidelong glances suggest a Keillor-esque wit at work. This homespun story introduces best friends Sam and Jackson, a baseball-loving horse and cat. Sam is "an amazing athlete"-an equine Natural-whose easy stance radiates composure. "Jackson was another story.... He was the slowest cat anyone had ever seen." Both try out for the local team, the Grazers, but Jackson (despite a powerful throwing arm) can't make the cut. A split-panel page shows the cat moping on his stoop while Sam, down at the field, gets ready to bat. Both are so unhappy that Sam strikes out repeatedly, and Jackson overhears the complaints. ("That horse is a disgrace," a bull gripes to a hippo, mocking fandom as well as the semi-peaceable kingdom Egan envisions.") Afterward, Jackson secretly takes a job as a roasted-peanut vendor, making use of that throwing arm. In a well-scripted moment of real-man camaraderie, Jackson reveals his presence by heckling Sam from the stands ("You see that stick you're holding?... You want to use that to hit the little ball they throw at you"). The delighted Sam duly hits a home run, and their buddy act becomes a main attraction. Egan invents a starry-eyed baseball legend of an earlier era, in which gentlemanly hues of sepia, loamy brown, mossy green and burgundy set the scene. The four-legged fans wear suit-jackets and hats, antique billboards line the stadium and-as in Egan's other books-sensitive stoics win the day. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal (May 1, 2006)
K-Gr 3-Jackson the cat and Sam the horse share a love of baseball, both watching and playing the game. Sam is a natural athlete, but Jackson is one of the slowest cats ever seen. Still, Sam encourages his buddy in his one skill-throwing. When tryouts for the local team come around, Sam easily makes it, but Jackson doesn't. Perhaps even worse, the feline's self-pity threatens Sam's happiness, and his performance. In the end, Jackson finds a way to use his talent in the stadium, supports his pal, and becomes a legend in his own right. More than a tale about baseball, this story is about the nature of true friendship, and about the ability to be happy about someone else's accomplishments. Egan's typically droll animal characters express emotions well. However, the ink-and-watercolor illustrations have a static quality that doesn't convey the movement of the game. Still, the understated humor of the text lightens the message and makes the story more appealing-as when the animal crowd yells at Sam, "Go back to the farm!" Baseball fanatics or not, most children will enjoy this charming tale.-Robin L. Gibson, Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2021
Interestingly, this is much heavier on the theme and lighter on the absurdity than most of Egan's works. Which could be a bad thing. But the idea that Sammy needed the moral support of Jackson just socked me right in the heart. Bravo, Tim Egan! I hope children like this, too.
October 18, 2020
Sweet story of friends with different skills. Best for kids who've been to a baseball game or two.
Read
December 5, 2025Go Mets! Go grazers!
May 15, 2012
Sam, the horse, and Jackson, the cat, are best friends. They love baseball and their favorite thing to do is to watch a game at Grant’s Field. This year the friends are finally old enough to try out for the local team, the Grazers. Sam is a stellar athlete, clearly the best on the field. But, although he can throw a ball well, Jackson can’t run very fast or hit very accurately. Sam is happy to make the team, but it isn’t the same without Jackson. What will happen when Jackson gets a job as a peanut vendor and becomes famous for throwing peanuts to customers over 60 rows away? Will Sam strike out during the big game against the Barkers? How will the two friends team up to save the day and the game?
This slightly off-beat story of friendship, baseball, and throwing peanuts, is finely crafted by Egan. The friendship between these two unique characters is the heart of the story and it’s wonderful to see how much Sam and Jackson will do for one another. The text is limited to a few sentences per page; however there are some great vocabulary words, such as “defeated,” “legend,” and “disgrace.” The illustrations are done in Egan’s signature style, with ink and watercolor. The characters, all types of animals dressed in human clothes, are quirky and the settings are specific and detailed.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
This slightly off-beat story of friendship, baseball, and throwing peanuts, is finely crafted by Egan. The friendship between these two unique characters is the heart of the story and it’s wonderful to see how much Sam and Jackson will do for one another. The text is limited to a few sentences per page; however there are some great vocabulary words, such as “defeated,” “legend,” and “disgrace.” The illustrations are done in Egan’s signature style, with ink and watercolor. The characters, all types of animals dressed in human clothes, are quirky and the settings are specific and detailed.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
February 9, 2011
This is a heartwarming story of two friends who are differently gifted who find a way to remain associated with each other, regardless of their different talents.
Both of them love baseball but only one of them is talented enough to play professionally. However, once separated, both struggle without each other, so the other friend finds away to be involved in the game, even if he isn't playing it.
It should be cloying and soppy, but it just somehow works. Tim Egan's art and words mesh perfectly, giving it a nostalgic feel, a la The Natural, even though it was written in 2006.
A fun little read.
Both of them love baseball but only one of them is talented enough to play professionally. However, once separated, both struggle without each other, so the other friend finds away to be involved in the game, even if he isn't playing it.
It should be cloying and soppy, but it just somehow works. Tim Egan's art and words mesh perfectly, giving it a nostalgic feel, a la The Natural, even though it was written in 2006.
A fun little read.
July 28, 2008
I think I would have given this 3 stars originally, since the first time I skipped lines and thought it was done. On a more thorough reading, I liked it better, plus my husband really liked it, so that made me like it more. A cute story about friends and supporting each other and celebrating individual successes and talents. I like the image of the peanuts being thrown to the crowd; that was really cute.
August 31, 2016
This is a kids picture book about two friends, a cat and a horse, who love baseball but the cat is only good at throwing. They try out for the team and only the horse gets in. I was going to read it to a class of 1st graders today where I substitute, but it turns out another sub read it a couple days ago. It was a really nice story, and it went ways I didn't expect, which is a treat.
May 9, 2012
Reading Rainbow: Game Day
I am sure that if you were in to baseball that this book would resonate more with you. For us, it was OK. Bea wondered about whether people were still allowed to have roasted peanuts at ballgames because of people with peanut allergies. Sigh.
I am sure that if you were in to baseball that this book would resonate more with you. For us, it was OK. Bea wondered about whether people were still allowed to have roasted peanuts at ballgames because of people with peanut allergies. Sigh.
October 15, 2012
I enjoyed this book a lot because it not only focuses on obvious sport talents but the hidden talents that aren't easily seen as well. Great friendship story as well. Younger kids could really benefit from this type of book.
February 23, 2016
A nice little story about two friends who love baseball, but are not equally talented at the game. The friend with more talent goes on to star on the hometown team, but still needs his friend (who's talent lies in tossing peanuts to the fans) around to do his best.
Good illustrations.
Good illustrations.
May 4, 2011
This is a GREAT boy book--about two friends playing baseball--
January 27, 2012
This was a really fun story!!! a must for little boys who love baseball
June 11, 2013
I generally don't like books about baseball - but this one is also about friendship and finding your place.
June 30, 2013
One of my favorite childrens' books. I love reading this one out loud!
March 28, 2015
I loved this one too.
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June 20, 2015AD740L
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews